Band E (Ages 15-18)
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517ETea CeremoniesAnalyze tea ceremony as contemplative practice that integrates mindfulness of the five elements; evaluate how ritual tea service cultivates presence, gratitude, and community connection; and demonstrate competency by conducting tea ceremonies that exemplify Buddhist principles of mindfulness, generosity, and appreciation for interdependent conditions supporting daily nourishment.
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521EAbhidharma: Sensory AwarenessIdentify the six sense faculties and twelve ayatanas and connect them to our experience of conditioned perception. Evaluate how habitual reactions to pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sensations can limit our perceptions. Implement mindfulness practices utilizing awareness of sensory processes.
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523EFive Wisdom ElementsImplement practices that honor the five elements in daily life. Lead guided meditations that explore each element’s qualities and significance.
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430EFour Noble Truths OverviewAnalyze each of the four noble truths by connecting traditional teachings with personal contemplative insights; evaluate how understanding dukkha—its causes, cessation, and the path—is relevant to working with contemporary psychological and social challenges; and evaluate how contemplating these truths can help develop renunciation, compassion, confidence, and commitment to the eightfold path.
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439ERight MotivationImplement regular motivation checks and adjustments, appreciating the value of benefiting others, and analyze how motivation functions within the eightfold path using personal examples.
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431ESetting BoundariesAnalyze various methods for creating sacred space and practice boundaries in contemplative settings; evaluate how intentional boundary-setting affects group concentration, respect, and spiritual atmosphere; and implement systematic approaches to establishing practice containers that support both individual focus and collective contemplative experience.
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429EMudrasDemonstrate basic symbolic gestures (mudras) common across Buddhist traditions, and analyze the meaning and purpose of each.
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433EShrine Room EtiquetteAnalyze shrine room etiquette practices as external expressions of internal reverence for the three jewels; evaluate how mindful behavior in sacred spaces cultivates respect, awareness, and devotion; and implement appropriate ritual conduct while explaining how these practices function as mind-training techniques that transform outer behavior into inner spiritual development.
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434EYou Are Your Own MasterAnalyze how the Buddha’s teaching on self-mastery challenges common assumptions about external salvation or rescue, and synthesize understanding by designing accountability practices that demonstrate personal responsibility for ethical choices and inner development.